FBI Says Suspects Arrested In Gang Crackdown Lead Double Lives

POSTED: 3:11 pm CDT October 24, 2007
UPDATED: 9:39 pm CDT October 24, 2007


OMAHA, Neb. -- A recent gang round-up is revealing new details about the lives of suspected gang members in Omaha.

FBI agents said they've tracked members of the dangerous MS-13 gang for almost a year and found they worked blue collar jobs and blended into the community. Many of the suspects worked in factories in the Omaha area.

"When they're not working or on their days off, they're doing car thefts, burglarizing houses and doing a very high volume of street level drug trafficking," said Dan Clegg, supervisory agent with the FBI.

So far, more than 50 arrests have been made in connection with the gang.

Five people arrested as part of the gang crackdown in Omaha appeared in court on Wednesday.

Agents said the gang members range in age from 13-years-old to men in their 40's.

Clegg said the gang is linked to the July 2006 murder of 15-year-old Jose Acosta.

"Each one of these gang members is a one man crime wave," said Clegg.

U.S. Attorney Joe Stecher said on Tuesday that his office helped to arrest a number of members of the so-called Mara Salvatrucha, or "MS-13" gang, which the FBI calls the most violent and dangerous organized criminal gang in the world.

Following an 11-month investigation by the FBI, immigration agents and the Omaha Police Department, 40 arrests were made in 24 hours, Stecher said. Fifteen are suspected members of the MS-13 gang and face gun, drug and immigration violation charges. The other 25 people arrested face immigration charges.

Officials said five people are being held at the Omaha city jail. They are Elias Gallegos, charged with possession of marijuana with intent to deliver; Emmanuel Gallegos, 21, charged with two counts of possession of marijuana with intent to deliver; Israel Lopez, 19, charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver; Ivan Lopez, 20, charged with possession of meth with intent to deliver; and Alberto Monarrez, 20, charged with possession of cocaine with intent to deliver.

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